The present invention is related to an image output system and an image output method, in which an image output process operation is carried out by an image output device in response to an image output request issued from a client terminal device, and also, related to both a client terminal device and an image output device, which are used in both the image output system and the image output method.
Recently, image output systems and services have been proposed (refer to, for instance, JP-A-2002-232691 (ABSTRACT)). In these image output systems and services, clients transmit print orders by using electronic mails, or the like, and then, when servers receive the print orders, the servers perform printing operations of images in accordance with the print orders.
However, in the above related image output system, during a communication operation before a printing operation is carried out, only order information is transmitted/received from a client to a server by way of an electronic mail along a single direction. Control information can be hardly and mutually transmitted/received between the client and the server before, during, and after an execution of an image output process operation (printing operation etc.), so that the client can hardly grasp conditions of the image output process operation.